Police in Fredericton, New Brunswick, are preparing for a ‘freedom convoy’ protest scheduled for Friday, saying they will not be allowed to ‘blockade’ the city where the Legislative Assembly is located.
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While he supports peaceful protests, Fredericton Police Chief Roger Brown said at a Thursday press briefing that he would not tolerate a downtown blockade.
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel. I think it’s totally irresponsible of these people to put the city in this position, but we’re going to respond,” he said, according to CTV News.
An operational plan has been drawn up by the police and the Ministry of Public Security, which includes not allowing large trucks to enter the city center.
“Trucks, heavy equipment, anything that can interfere with the smooth running of the city will be refused at checkpoints outside the city,” assured the police chief, who added that he had difficult to identify the organizers of the convoy.
“I don’t know what their objectives are, but I can tell you that we intend to meet the organizers tomorrow. We will tell them very clearly what our plans are. Let’s hope that the spirits will be calmer, ”he said.
City Mayor Kate Rogers said she was grateful for the support the provincial government has pledged to the city.
“As Canadians, we all have the right to use our voice. Peaceful protest is one of the hallmarks of our rights, but we cannot do it in a way that affects others. It is absolutely wrong to infringe on the rights of other people,” she said.
Fredericton police said on Monday that they had heard of the weekend protest threats. “Rest assured that our primary responsibility is to keep everyone safe. Our goal is to ensure that the impact on residents and businesses is minimized, ”assured the police chief on Twitter.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com